Tuesday of the sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 336
Lectionary: 336
Blessed is he who perseveres in temptation,
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
for when he has been proven he will receive the crown of life
that he promised to those who love him.
No one experiencing temptation should say,
“I am being tempted by God”;
for God is not subject to temptation to evil,
and he himself tempts no one.
Rather, each person is tempted when lured and enticed by his desire.
Then desire conceives and brings forth sin,
and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters:
all good giving and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.
He willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
R. (12a) Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD,
whom by your law you teach,
Giving him rest from evil days.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
For the LORD will not cast off his people,
nor abandon his inheritance;
But judgment shall again be with justice,
and all the upright of heart shall follow it.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, O LORD, sustains me;
When cares abound within me,
your comfort gladdens my soul.
R. Blessed the man you instruct, O Lord.
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread,
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out,
guard against the leaven of the Pharisees
and the leaven of Herod.”
They concluded among themselves that
it was because they had no bread.
When he became aware of this he said to them,
“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?
Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?
And do you not remember,
when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?”
They answered him, “Twelve.”
“When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand,
how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?”
They answered him, “Seven.”
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Meditation: "Beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and Herod"
What do you do when you come to the end of your resources – when
you feel inadequate, shorthanded, or empty? Do you wring your hands, complain,
fret, and give in to worry, fear, and despair? Mark tells us that the apostles
set off in their boat across the Sea of Galilee only to discover that they
forgot to bring enough food for their journey. What were they to do miles away
from land and any place where they could buy food and supplies? They were
anxious of course, and this was right after Jesus had performed the miracle of
the multiplication of the loaves and fishes where the disciples fed more than
four thousand people (Mark 8:1-9). Jesus knew the trouble in his disciples'
hearts even before they could speak. Jesus dealt with their anxiety by first
warning them to not fear what can harm the body rather than what can destroy
the very heart and soul of their being.
Jesus cautioned the disciples to beware of the bread that
corrupts and leads to death, such as the leaven of the Pharisees and
the leaven of Herod. Our "daily bread" is whatever nourishes us,
not just physically, but spiritually, intellectually, and morally as well. Why
did Jesus tell his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of
Herod? To the Jew leaven was a sign of evil. It was a piece of dough left-over
from a previous baking. In due course it fermented and this fermented dough
became leaven. Fermentation was associated with decomposing rot. Jesus warned
his disciples to avoid the evil influence of the Pharisees and of Herod who
sought their own counsels rather than the will of God. As the apostles
continued to worry about their lack of bread, Jesus reminded them of his
miraculous provision of bread in the feeding of the four thousand. He then
upbraided them for their lack of trust in God. Do you not yet
understand? It's easy to get preoccupied with the problems and needs
of the present moment and to forget the most important reality of all – God's
abiding presence with us and his abundant provision for our lives as well. Do
you pray with joyful confidence, Father, give us this day our daily
bread?
"Lord Jesus, you alone can sustain me with your life-giving
Word and Spirit. Give me joy and strength to serve you always and help me to
turn away from the leaven of sin and worldliness which brings corruption and
death."
 Having a Memory for God |
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Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
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Mark 8: 14-21
Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they
had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying,
"Watch out--beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of
Herod." They said to one another, "It is because we have no bread."
And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, "Why are you talking about
having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts
hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to
hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five
thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" They
said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand,
how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?" And they said
to him, "Seven." Then he said to them, "Do you not yet
understand?"
Introductory Prayer:Lord, I
know you have worked in my life, and yet I take so little account of it. Just
knowing the truth of your presence in my past would be enough to convert my
heart totally to a future of commitment to you. Knowing your history will
make me long for you. I hunger for goodness that will make this day fruitful
in ways that will last, that will not deceive me. I intend to not let my
mundane passions leave me blind and crippled before the opportunity to be
your apostle today.
Petition: Lord,
grant me the grace to commit myself more to your will through a deeper trust
in you.
1. Missing the Foundation: “Is it
because we have no bread?” We can see how easy it is to miss the messages God
wishes to send us in prayer, because we are preoccupied only with what is
immediate. We can be hungry for success, want a friend or family member to
make peace with us, or we become obsessed over the finances. The insecure
heart is pulled away from a healthy vision of life because it is not founded
on rock. The soul that lives from the true foundation knows that as long as
it has Christ and is doing his will, all is well.
2. Remembering the Works of God: And do
you not remember?” One of the worst sins of the people of Israel was to have
forgotten God’s great works on their behalf. It is important to reflect often
and with gratitude on the many benefits we have received from Our Lord. Each
of us should remember: It is God who created us and who has begun the work of
our holiness. If he has brought us this far with only a modest amount of
cooperation on our part, how much further could we go if we were to give him
our total dedication? How much more good would flourish in our lives? How
many problems would find God’s hand shaping them for our benefit?
3. Wishing to See Again: On any
given day, every follower of Christ should have a healthy mistrust of what he
thinks is the absolute need for his life. Oftentimes, a spiritual “detox” is
in order to free us from becoming obsessed over secondary goals. This detox
is found in the school of prayer. St. Augustine notes prayer is where we
exercise desire, where we let our heart purify itself from its distractions,
and where we let affection and devotion for the Beloved expand. The fire of
divine love can heal many divisions and complexes in our psychology, if we
consistently open ourselves up to it.
Conversation with Christ: Lord,
keep me from that spiritual anorexia that makes me lose the hunger for your
presence in my life. I can let daily pressures and disordered passions block
my ability to love you as I should. How I endanger myself; how I destroy my
happiness in this world of illusion. Free me, Jesus, from my own folly! Give
me back the hunger to love you again, as I promise never again to let myself
be carried away by activism and pride.
Resolution: Today I
will write down the things I have been seeking that could take me away from
Christ. I will honestly renounce them in an attitude of holy indifference,
wanting them only in as much as Jesus wants them in my life.
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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18,
MARK 8:14-21
(James 1:12-18; Psalm 94)
(James 1:12-18; Psalm 94)
KEY VERSE: "Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod" (v 15).
READING: Leaving the district of Dalmanutha, Jesus and his disciples journeyed by boat to the other side of the lake. On the way, the disciples realized that they had forgotten to bring enough provisions. Jesus used this as an opportunity to warn them about the corrupting influence of Herod and the Pharisees. Since yeast, or leaven, induced fermentation in bread dough, it was an apt symbol of the insidious effect of those who opposed Jesus. The disciples failed to understand him, and Jesus reprimanded them for being blind and deaf to his words and deeds. Did they not just witness the extraordinary multiplication of loaves? (Mk 6:34-44; 8:1-9). Those in power had missed the meaning of the miracle. Did his disciples miss it too?
REFLECTING: Do my words and deeds I influence others for good or evil?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to understand your words and deeds.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Faith is a Virtue
Faith is a virtue. Virtues are like spiritual muscles: The more we
work them, the stronger they get. We must always seek an active faith—one that
is active in learning and active in living.
Happy are those you teach, O Lord
Jesus, I am very often envious of the disciples.They could touch you, talk to you, listen to you, all day every day. They saw you heal the sick, feed the hungry, give sight to the blind. Their hearts must often have been moved as they listened to your parables and your teaching. How exciting it must have been for them! Yet in today’s gospel you sound exasperated with them. In spite of being so close to you, they still had difficulty in understanding what you were on about. I too feel exasperated with these men of Galilee, critical of their diminished understanding. Surely I would have understood. Or would I? You have performed miracles in my life and I do not see. Open my eyes and ears, Lord, that I may know and serve you.
February
18
Blessed John of Fiesole
(c. 1400-1455)
Blessed John of Fiesole
(c. 1400-1455)
The patron of Christian artists was born around 1400 in a village
overlooking Florence. He took up painting as a young boy and studied under the
watchful eye of a local painting master. He joined the Dominicans at about age
20, taking the name Fra Giovanni. He eventually came to be known as Fra
Angelico, perhaps a tribute to his own angelic qualities or maybe the
devotional tone of his works.
He
continued to study painting and perfect his own techniques, which included
broad-brush strokes, vivid colors and generous, lifelike figures. Michelangelo
once said of Fra Angelico: “One has to believe that this good monk has visited
paradise and been allowed to choose his models there.” Whatever his subject
matter, Fra Angelico sought to generate feelings of religious devotion in
response to his paintings. Among his most famous works are the Annunciation and
Descent from the Cross as well as frescoes in the monastery of San Marco in
Florence.
He also
served in leadership positions within the Dominican Order. At one point Pope Eugenius
approached him about serving as archbishop of Florence. Fra Angelico declined,
preferring a simpler life. He died in 1455.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 8,14-21
Lectio:
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord our God,
when we do not see clear in life,
when suffering comes our way,
we tend to blame you or people.
Help us to realize clearly
how much of the evil around us
comes from within ourselves,
from our greed for riches and power,
from our self-complacency and selfishness.
Speak to us your word of forgiveness
and change us from a silent majority of evil
into solidarity of love,
by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8,14-21
The disciples had forgotten to take any bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, 'Keep your eyes open; look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.'
And they said to one another, 'It is because we have no bread.' And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, 'Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand, still not realise? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' They answered, 'Twelve.' 'And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' And they answered, 'Seven.' Then he said to them, 'Do you still not realise?'
3) Reflection
• Yesterday’s Gospel spoke of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the Pharisees. Today’s Gospel speaks of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the disciples and shows that the “yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod” (religion and government), had, in such a way, taken possession of the mentality of the disciples to the point of hindering them from listening to the Good News.
• Mark 8, 14-16: Attention to the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Jesus warns the disciples: “Look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod”. But they did not understand the words of Jesus. They thought that he spoke like that because they had forgotten to buy bread. Jesus says one thing and they understood another. This ‘clash’ was the result of the insidious influence of the “yeast of the Pharisees” in the mentality and in the life of the disciples.
• Mark 8, 17-18a: The question of Jesus. In the face of this almost total lack of perception in the disciples, Jesus rapidly asks them a series of questions, without waiting for an answer. Hard questions which express very serious things and reveal the total lack of understanding on the part of the disciples. Even if it seems unbelievable, the disciples reached the point in which there was no difference between them and the enemies of Jesus. First Jesus had become sad seeing the “hardness of heart” of the Pharisees and of the Herodians (Mk 3, 5). Now, the disciples themselves have “hardened their heart” (Mk 8, 17). First, “those outside” (Mk 4, 11) did not understand the parables because “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” (Mk 4, 12). Now, the disciples themselves understand nothing, because “they have eyes and do not see, listen, but do not understand” (Mk 8, 18). Besides, the image of the “hardened heart” evoked the hardness of heart of the people of the Old Testament who always drifted away from the path. It also evoked the hardened heart of Pharaoh who oppressed and persecuted the people (Ex 4, 21; 7, 13; 8, 11.15.28; 9, 7…). The expression “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” evoked not only the people without faith criticized by Isaiah (Is 6, 9-10), but also the adorers of false gods, of whom the Psalm says: “they have eyes and see nothing, have ears and hear nothing” (Ps 115, 5-6).
• Mark 8, 18b-21: The two questions regarding the bread. The two final questions refer to the multiplication of the loaves: How many baskets did they gather the first time? Twelve! And the second? Seven! Like the Pharisees, the disciples also, in spite that they had collaborated actively in the multiplication of the loaves, did not succeed in understanding the meaning. Jesus ends by saying: “Do you still not understand?” The way in which Jesus asks these questions, one after the other, almost without waiting for an answer, seems to cut the conversation. It reveals a very big clash. Which is the cause for this clash?
• The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples. The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples was not due to ill will on their part. The disciples were not like the Pharisees. They also did not understand, but in them there was malice. They used religion to criticize and to condemn Jesus (Mk 2, 7.16.18.24; 3, 5. 22-30). The disciples were good people. Theirs was not ill will. Because even if they were victims of the “yeast of the Pharisees and of the Herodians”, they were not interested in defending the system of the Pharisees and the Herodians against Jesus. Then, which was the cause? The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples had something to do with the Messianic hope. Among the Jews there was an enormous variety of Messianic expectations. Secondly, the diverse interpretations of the prophecies, there were people who expected a Messiah King (cfr. Mk 15, 9.32). Others, a Messiah, Saint or Priest (cfr. Mk 1, 24). Others, a Messiah, a subversive Warrior (cfr. Lk 23, 5; Mk 15, 6; 13, 6-8). Others, a Messiah, Doctor (cfr. Jn 4, 25; Mk 1, 22-27). Others, a Messiah, Judge (cfr. Lk 3, 5-9; Mk 1, 8). Others, a Messiah, Prophet (6, 4; 14, 65). It seems that nobody expected a Messiah, Servant, announced by the Prophet Isaiah (Is 42, 1; 49, 3; 52, 13). They did not expect to consider the messianic hope as a service of the people of God to humanity. Each one according to their own interests and according to their social class, expected the Messiah, but wanting to reduce him to their own hope. This is why the title Messiah, according to the person or social position, could mean very different things. There was a great confusion of ideas! And precisely in this attitude of Servant is found the key which turns on a light in the darkness of the disciples and helps them to convert themselves. It is only in accepting the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, that they will be capable to open the eyes and to understand the Mystery of God in Jesus.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Which is for us today the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod? What does it mean today for me to have a “hardened heart?
• The yeast of Herod and the Pharisees prevents the disciples to understand the Good News. Perhaps, today the propaganda of the Television prevents us from understanding the Good News of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
I need only say, 'I am slipping,'
for your faithful love, Yahweh, to support me;
however great the anxiety of my heart,
your consolations soothe me. (Ps 94,18-19)
Lord our God,
when we do not see clear in life,
when suffering comes our way,
we tend to blame you or people.
Help us to realize clearly
how much of the evil around us
comes from within ourselves,
from our greed for riches and power,
from our self-complacency and selfishness.
Speak to us your word of forgiveness
and change us from a silent majority of evil
into solidarity of love,
by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 8,14-21
The disciples had forgotten to take any bread and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then he gave them this warning, 'Keep your eyes open; look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.'
And they said to one another, 'It is because we have no bread.' And Jesus knew it, and he said to them, 'Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not understand, still not realise? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes and do not see, ears and do not hear? Or do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' They answered, 'Twelve.' 'And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of scraps did you collect?' And they answered, 'Seven.' Then he said to them, 'Do you still not realise?'
3) Reflection
• Yesterday’s Gospel spoke of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the Pharisees. Today’s Gospel speaks of the misunderstanding between Jesus and the disciples and shows that the “yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod” (religion and government), had, in such a way, taken possession of the mentality of the disciples to the point of hindering them from listening to the Good News.
• Mark 8, 14-16: Attention to the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. Jesus warns the disciples: “Look out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod”. But they did not understand the words of Jesus. They thought that he spoke like that because they had forgotten to buy bread. Jesus says one thing and they understood another. This ‘clash’ was the result of the insidious influence of the “yeast of the Pharisees” in the mentality and in the life of the disciples.
• Mark 8, 17-18a: The question of Jesus. In the face of this almost total lack of perception in the disciples, Jesus rapidly asks them a series of questions, without waiting for an answer. Hard questions which express very serious things and reveal the total lack of understanding on the part of the disciples. Even if it seems unbelievable, the disciples reached the point in which there was no difference between them and the enemies of Jesus. First Jesus had become sad seeing the “hardness of heart” of the Pharisees and of the Herodians (Mk 3, 5). Now, the disciples themselves have “hardened their heart” (Mk 8, 17). First, “those outside” (Mk 4, 11) did not understand the parables because “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” (Mk 4, 12). Now, the disciples themselves understand nothing, because “they have eyes and do not see, listen, but do not understand” (Mk 8, 18). Besides, the image of the “hardened heart” evoked the hardness of heart of the people of the Old Testament who always drifted away from the path. It also evoked the hardened heart of Pharaoh who oppressed and persecuted the people (Ex 4, 21; 7, 13; 8, 11.15.28; 9, 7…). The expression “they have eyes and do not see, listen but do not understand” evoked not only the people without faith criticized by Isaiah (Is 6, 9-10), but also the adorers of false gods, of whom the Psalm says: “they have eyes and see nothing, have ears and hear nothing” (Ps 115, 5-6).
• Mark 8, 18b-21: The two questions regarding the bread. The two final questions refer to the multiplication of the loaves: How many baskets did they gather the first time? Twelve! And the second? Seven! Like the Pharisees, the disciples also, in spite that they had collaborated actively in the multiplication of the loaves, did not succeed in understanding the meaning. Jesus ends by saying: “Do you still not understand?” The way in which Jesus asks these questions, one after the other, almost without waiting for an answer, seems to cut the conversation. It reveals a very big clash. Which is the cause for this clash?
• The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples. The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples was not due to ill will on their part. The disciples were not like the Pharisees. They also did not understand, but in them there was malice. They used religion to criticize and to condemn Jesus (Mk 2, 7.16.18.24; 3, 5. 22-30). The disciples were good people. Theirs was not ill will. Because even if they were victims of the “yeast of the Pharisees and of the Herodians”, they were not interested in defending the system of the Pharisees and the Herodians against Jesus. Then, which was the cause? The cause of the clash between Jesus and the disciples had something to do with the Messianic hope. Among the Jews there was an enormous variety of Messianic expectations. Secondly, the diverse interpretations of the prophecies, there were people who expected a Messiah King (cfr. Mk 15, 9.32). Others, a Messiah, Saint or Priest (cfr. Mk 1, 24). Others, a Messiah, a subversive Warrior (cfr. Lk 23, 5; Mk 15, 6; 13, 6-8). Others, a Messiah, Doctor (cfr. Jn 4, 25; Mk 1, 22-27). Others, a Messiah, Judge (cfr. Lk 3, 5-9; Mk 1, 8). Others, a Messiah, Prophet (6, 4; 14, 65). It seems that nobody expected a Messiah, Servant, announced by the Prophet Isaiah (Is 42, 1; 49, 3; 52, 13). They did not expect to consider the messianic hope as a service of the people of God to humanity. Each one according to their own interests and according to their social class, expected the Messiah, but wanting to reduce him to their own hope. This is why the title Messiah, according to the person or social position, could mean very different things. There was a great confusion of ideas! And precisely in this attitude of Servant is found the key which turns on a light in the darkness of the disciples and helps them to convert themselves. It is only in accepting the Messiah as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, that they will be capable to open the eyes and to understand the Mystery of God in Jesus.
4) For Personal Confrontation
• Which is for us today the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod? What does it mean today for me to have a “hardened heart?
• The yeast of Herod and the Pharisees prevents the disciples to understand the Good News. Perhaps, today the propaganda of the Television prevents us from understanding the Good News of Jesus?
5) Concluding Prayer
I need only say, 'I am slipping,'
for your faithful love, Yahweh, to support me;
however great the anxiety of my heart,
your consolations soothe me. (Ps 94,18-19)
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